A Window to Your Business: Updating Your Pointless Website
So you think your website is “good enough”- let me ask: how’s that working? A barely there or often ignored site can be the difference between the next big sale and a customer saying ‘adios.’ With most companies making their initial decisions based upon your business card of a website, it’s time to refocus your efforts on getting your website into more than just working order. We want to help you see the success that can come from a beautifully designed site- and the easy ways to make it happen.
Update Your Site
You made a website 4 years ago and haven’t touched it since. It was a “barely there” version of your actual vision all the way back then, but now, it has no relevance to today’s world- or your current business. Your website is the first impression people will get of your business as a whole, so why not keep it updated with the latest and greatest services, acknowledgments and accolades? Use your site to show potential customers just how great your company truly is- and what a necessity it can be to them.
Keep Posting
A blog page is a great way to stay connected with your customer base on a regular basis. By writing pieces yourself- or hiring someone to craft your message into a blog post for you- you can easily attract, educate and inspire people through your site. According to Entrepreneur.com, “Companies that published 16+ blog posts per month got about 4.5 times more leads than companies that published between 0-4 monthly posts.”
Many companies that tend to deal with technical terms day in and day out- in the medical fields, for example- turn to blog posts to show the friendly and approachable side of themselves and their businesses. By taking the time to address your readers and keep them up-to-date on the latest trends, news and local shenanigans, you can be sure that your customers are reading- and ingesting- what you have to offer.
Furthermore, blogs give SEO experts the perfect opportunity to mix in appropriate keywords, adding to the benefits of having a blog page. These words- already a part of your crafted message- are some of the largest key factors in helping your website get ranked higher amongst the search engines. Hiring a marketing company to give your website an SEO makeover has the potential to take your website from page 6 of Google to page 1- and into the spotlight with your customers.
Know Your Brand
Another way to turn visitors off from your website is to never determine your company brand in the first place. Without this fundamental understanding, your website will no doubt mirror the chaos that is your image. Take the time to align your mission with the mark you want to leave behind, before finishing your website. Then- and only then- will your website reflect the message you are trying to impress upon your customers and clients.
Bring Them Back
Does your website currently have an e-mail opt-in for new visitors to get updates on your websites, notifications for new blogs or your monthly newsletter? No- well, why not? While search engine sites are beginning to penalize companies that use increasingly difficult-to-close pop-up windows, there are still other options. Consider having a floating opt-in, that allows your viewers to enjoy your site without the in your face window we all tend to dislike.
Dissect Your Analytics
With so many different software programs available- both inside the platforms and in the form of plug-ins- understanding the traffic on your site is a no-brainer these days. Take advantage of these useful tools and regularly check up on the when, where and what of your website traffic. By understanding these patterns and user decisions, you will be able to better adjust your site for future visitors.
Share Your Success
With everything that goes into owning and running a business, you should consider yourself a success just for keeping it afloat. Revel in your mini celebrations and openly share your major accomplishments with the world. Likewise, with your website as the window to your business, you should be sharing content from your site freely and frequently on social media- giving others a small glimpse into the success you are building for yourself and those around you.
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Have you seen some of the websites that people try to pass off as professional these days? We’re talking bad graphics, hard to read layouts and content that sounds like a preschooler wrote it in their sleep. And don’t get us started on businesses that don’t even HAVE a website! Wake up everyone… this is your virtual business card, and having a beautifully curated, well thought-out and continuously updated website is paramount to getting your clients or customers through the door. But we get it- websites are hard- and techy- and downright intimidating. We don’t expect you to learn code or how to build a website overnight, and neither should you. So put down your Coding For Dummies: 101 and give us a call at 2Ten Marketing, to build you the website of your dreams, without the glitches and DIY website nightmares that would be sure to follow.
LET'S NOT PUT YOUR WEBSITE ON THE BACK BURNER!
Previously Published on August 3, 2017